Kenedy Meadows, Mile 702, Day 39

I've made it to Kennedy Meadows, gateway to the High Sierra!

It's been a while since I've been able to sit down and write a thorough update, but now that I have finally made it to Tom's place (check it out at http://hikethepct-km.com/index.html), I'm able to prepare for the next leg of the journey. We're all competing to use the internet so I'll have to make this update brief.

The last stretch of hiking was the longest and most difficult so far. About 144 miles of hot, dry, and sandy desert from Mojave to Kennedy Meadows. We've passed huge wind farms, which meas very strong winds that made it difficult to camp and cook. Decisions were made by all whether to night hike or face the heat of the day (both having pros and cons). Luckily, I made it here in 6 days combining both early morning hikes, hot afternoon hikes, and late evening hikes. The heat doesn't affect me as much as it does others, and I thank the brown skin for that! However at times a gust of wind or a small patch of shade would be a God-send. Others have skipped this section, or spent extra time in Mojave/Tehachapi to wait for a change in weather. Though difficult, this has also been one of my favorite hiking sections for evening/night hikes, being rewarded with stunning views and amazing scenery. I was able to take gorgeous twilight photos (not able to update yet) of sun setting behind mountains, and the earths shadow + moon in the other direction. There has been a lack of water, sometimes 20+ miles in 95-100 degree heat without a natural water source and if it wasn't for water caches, many of us would have suffered.

The trail approaching Kennedy Meadows provided some great ridge walks and opportunity to see the Sierra ahead. The other day I woke up to the smell of fire (Gorge fire 25mi west of KM), and we were all worried about getting cut off before reaching KM. Luckily however, it seems to have died down and the skies are now clear again.

Things to mention:

--The trail name is Dirty Brown (as of mile 464)!
-My sleeping pad has popped, so I've been roughin' it on the ground for the past several days (good for the body I guess)
-Feet are feeling great, but body is loosing weight +10 lbs.. I feel super skinny but my endurance is a lot better than day 1 (20-30 mile days are normal and can be hiked by 5-6pm if need be)
-I cloths and body and sleeping bag have acquired a nice funk
-Morale is high, heading into the Sierra
-I've been hiking with various people (3 Bears, Ant Eater, and many others who've I've been leapfrogging with) and am continuing to meet great and interesting people along the way
-I've seen cumulus clouds for the the first time! Stoked for the shade and cooler weather ahead (not to mention abundant water)
-Trail magic (thanks to Okie Girl) at Walker Pass was a great morale booster. There's nothing like cold drinks and a home cooked meal, after 25 odd miles of hot, waterless hiking
-PCT is only getting better

Kennedy Meadows: Beautiful place and very hiker friendly. I took a dip in the Kern river before approaching this small community. Finally got a chance to pick up my resupply (bear canister, food, etc), but will be sending some gear home to cut the weight.
We watched Men In Black last night on the 'big screen' and hung out be the camp fire. A great way to let our muscles heal and relax before the climbs coming up. Tom's place is ran like an amazing hostel, provided with multiple little trailers (currently sharing a deluxe 3 person trailer with Ant Eater and Birthday Girl), internet, an outdoor kitchen, and is located across the street from the General Store. Like I'd mentioned, this is an amazing place to catch up with past hiking friends, and meet new ones!

Next update will probably be in the middle of the Sierras during my next resupply. Current pics will hopefully come soon!

To be continued...

At Hikertown sharing an amazing care package from Allan, thanks a million!

Crossing a long and flat 18 mile section of the Mojave Desert...

Enjoying a cold drink from the Mojave liquor store!